Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

So my Eneloops are always topped off and ready to go
Now, in case of extended blackout or whatever, I'd like to keep some spares around the house. Now, for $10, I can have 4 Lithium AAs or 10 Alkalines AAs. These will be used in a radio and a flashlight or two. Which route should I go? (no cold conditions here)

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

For $10 you can get about 40 alkalines depending on where you shop. You will probably get a lot of responses about how horrible alkalines are and that they leak in storage, but if you store them in the fridge they should be fine (anyway, store them outside of the flashlight and examine them for leakage before using them).

But there sure are cold conditions in Brooklyn sometimes! Lithium works a lot better than alkaline or nimh when it is very cold.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Lithium primaries, no question. No leakage, about 3-4x the runtime, and a shelf life of 15-20 years.


You might be able to get them cheaper. Various stores often run specials which bring the price down to $4-6 for a 4-pack. Sam's Club sells a 12 pack for $20.

Walgreens and CVS are two to watch for regular deals.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Coldest this entire winter so far has been 11 deg F. Inside my bag has been around 35deg F.
$10 can get me a brick of 40 AA Sanyos, but are they reliable?

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

If you can get a deal like the Sam's Club one Marduke mentioned, that would be the way to go.

They don't leak, have a 15 year shelf life, and since you are in a locale that can get freezing temps will perform in the cold.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

I'm going to differ from everyone else and say alkalines. They have a shelf life of about 6 years. If you don't use them after 6 years, discard them and get some more. $10 worth of alkalines will give give you a lot more run time than $10 worth of lithiums. And an expenditure of $10 every 6 years is so close to zero it is not worth worrying about.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

I think the deciding factor will be how many batteries you will need in an emergency situation.

You mention you will need the batteries for "a radio and a flashlight or two," and depending on what kind of radio and flashlights you use, I would imagine you'd need more than 4 AA batteries to run them all at once.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

A radio or flashlight or two I'd buy another couple packs of eneloops. Then use a car charger to recharge the used ones if power is still out.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

I keep a pile of Alkalines and have a bunch of Lithiums. However there are sales on the Alkalines and for low drain stuff like lights on low settings I don't think there is 4x the run but no expert. But I don't trust them the same as NiMH and lithims. You guys got me so worked up on leaks etc.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Marduke said:

Walgreens and CVS are two to watch for regular deals.

Click to expand...

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=189689

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Depending on the flashlights if alkalines work well for backup ONLY I would go with the alkalines. even if they leak in storage you wont lose but a few of them and the amount of runtime of 40 alkalines vs 4 lithiums on lower drain devices is 5-10 times. I would look into a decent car charger setup for you eneloops too. When we had an ice storm in Dec 2007 for 4 days I used a car charger and never touched my alkaline battery stockpile. I am slowly going to replace them all with lithiums due to that now because I don't think I will be using many alkalines with rechargable LSD cells.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

I was buying those 30 packs of rayovacs from home depot for a couple years but had a few leak on me so I've stopped buying them anymore, run from my eneloops and car chargers when needed.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

My wife and i had the power go out because of Katrina and we didnt have power for 2 wks.......i was going through a pair of alkies a night. I keep some still in the box but there slowly being phased out for liths. Depending on how long the blackout would last i would say to keep a small pile of both. And at that time i had no way of charging cells in the car.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Why could you not charge from a car, you own no car, or somehting else? I'm interested because thats a scenaro I hadn't planned for.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Just buy a small solar panel capable of running a battery charger if you don't own a car. No need to worry about emergency backup batteries any more.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

Eugene said:

Why could you not charge from a car, you own no car, or somehting else? I'm interested because thats a scenaro I hadn't planned for.

Click to expand...

If the station(s) don't have power, no more gas....

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

LED_astray said:

If the station(s) don't have power, no more gas....

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It was also likely that the car AND gas station was under 10 feet of water!

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

No car here in NYC

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

At that time i didnt have a charger that you can just plug into the cig lighter......lol.

Re: Lithiums or Alkalines as "Emergency Backup batteries"? (Have around 12 Eneloops)

alfreddajero said:

At that time i didnt have a charger that you can just plug into the cig lighter......lol.

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I need another cord for another charger or a USB 12v adapter for you energizer duo charger